Should I Neuter?

[ricebarbiee]

My little Piyo has had the Bile Acid test done twice, the first time they gave me vitamins for his liver but when he was tested the second time they said there was no change in his levels. I was told he does not have a liver shunt but now they want me to take him in for an ultrasound which is going to cost me another $500 and I was just curious as to whether this was all necessary to get him neutered or if they're just trying to squeeze every penny out of me they can? I want to get him neutered (it's already paid for in his wellness puppy package) but don't want to risk his life and I don't know how many more tests I can afford =/

Any opinions on the topic would be greatly appreciated, he's my first Yorkie and I don't know too much about them yet

[mimimomo]

Are his liver values high or abnormal? Maybe that's why they want to do more tests? If your Piyo's liver enzymes are high, he can't be anesthetized properly/ safely. The underlying issues must be addressed b4 putting your dog under anesthesia.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by mimimomo

Are his liver values high or abnormal? Maybe that's why they want to do more tests? If your Piyo's liver enzymes are high, he can't be anesthetized properly/ safely. The underlying issues must be addressed b4 putting your dog under anesthesia.

My uncle didn't know about doing blood tests before getting there dog fixed and thankfully I told him about it in time and they did the blood work on his little girl and her liver way way off and it could have killed her to go under anesthesia at that time so she had to take some meds and stuff and eventually had to go to a specialist to be spayed because they had to clean her liver out at the same time.

[ricebarbiee]

Thank you. They said something about his levels being at 30? And not 100%...I couldn't really understand because they were talking so fast. I guess we're just going to hold off on neutering him for now

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by ricebarbiee

Thank you. They said something about his levels being at 30? And not 100%...I couldn't really understand because they were talking so fast. I guess we're just going to hold off on neutering him for now

The wellness package you purchased, was it through Banfield?

I would not allow any regular vet to anesthetize my dog with elevated values.

A high liver value alone is inadequate for determining if a pup has a shunt or other condition. I would look into going to a specialist. Usually people recommend vet schools for this, but I am not familiar with any in your area. Maybe other people here can recommend one.

If I am not mistaken, an ultrasound can also be inconclusive for liver shunt, although it can show other problems. I believe scintography is recommended.

Elevated liver values can't be ignored. Here is an article for you:
http://florida.bluepearlvet.com/file...-web-LINKS.pdf